To heighten awareness of its new name during 1998 fall open enrollment, Health Partners of the Midwest in St. Louis, is positioning itself as the "Southwest Airlines of managed care."
The campaign's core theme is the fun, upbeat song "Feelin' Alright," sung by Joe Cocker that reflects the health plan's approachable, customer service-oriented point of difference among at least three other market competitors.
The $900,000 campaign, which ran from September to late November, was driven by TV and radio commercials and supported with print and outdoor advertising. Geile Rexford Creative Associates, the St. Louis-based agency that developed the campaign, was selected by Health Partners in July among 30 agencies that vied for the new business.
From a creative standpoint, the agency's directive was to be "left of center," says Angela Brown, Health Partners' director of marketing and communications.
She adds, "We chose an agency that broke out of the clinical mode and took a whole different approach to marketing [a managed care plan.]"
Prior to January 1998, Health Partners was marketed as Partners HMO, Medical Center Health Plan and The Washington University Health Plan.
To push the new name and its network of 23 hospitals and 4,000 doctors, the advertising takes a lighthearted, whimsical tone to emphasize its customer service focus. Campaign tag lines include, "So, how many light bulbs does it take to change health care?" and "Big problems or small, call us. Or feel free to walk in anytime."
So far the campaign is generating favorable name recognition from radio stations disc jockeys commenting on the commercials to positive community feedback at local healthcare events, says Tim Leon, Geile's VP of account service. And sales efforts are 25 percent ahead of projections, says Brown.
Immediate next steps include keeping the campaign's momentum up with collateral marketing, Web site promotions and internal marketing efforts aimed at boosting employee morale.
(Health Partners, Angela Brown, 314/505-5047; Geile Rexford Creative Associates, Tim Leon, 314/727-5850)